Chapter 3: epting the deal


    Daniel''s POV:


    "Daniel! What did you do to Sophia? What did you tell her?"


    I just closed my eyes when I heard the voice of my Mom on the phone. She served as my rm clock


    this morning.


    "I didn''t do anything mom---"


    "Then why did she back out on the deal? She called me this morning and said she wouldn''t ept the


    deal anymore!"


    "Mom, it''s her problem and not mine. If she decided to back out, then fine---"


    "Daniel Kelley!"


    -''Oh God, mentioning my full name again.''-


    "I didn''t raise you to be rude and disrespectful towards women!"


    "Mom, I told you I didn''t do anything to her!"


    "Make it sure, son. I asked her but she refused to tell me what happened between the two of you


    yesterday. Son please, Sophia is a fine young woman and she''s your only hope to get the investment


    that you and your dad wanted to get."


    "But I can find my own woman. I can find a fiancée, Mom!" I said scratching my eyebrow as I got up in


    bed.


    "Fine! I''ll let you get a fiancée, but make sure she''s not one of your women in the past!"


    I just rolled my eyes.


    "What''s up with that girl and you wanted me to marry her? She''s nothing special, Mom! I mean yes,


    she''s beautiful but other than that, I can''t find anything special about her. She''s just an ordinary


    woman."


    "Give her a chance, son, and you will know she''s different from the women you have met and yet will


    meet. She''s special Daniel."


    I chuckled with her exnation. "Mommy, since when did you be a poet?"


    "Daniel Kelley! I''m serious!"


    "Okay, okay!" I said trying to suppress myughter. "But Mom please, just give me time to find a


    fiancée on this contract."


    "But what if you failed and didn''t find any woman?"


    "Then I''ll take your girl."


    "Okay, I''ll give you one week, so start it now!"


    "But Mom, that''s too short----"


    "No! We only have two and a half weeks left before the scheduled engagement party. So, if after a


    week and you haven''t found a girl yet, then you have no choice but to marry Sophia."


    "Fine."


    "Okay, bye son. Take care, I love you."


    "Thanks, Mom, I love you too."


    "Whoa!" I sighed loudly as I fell back myself onto the bed. I closed my eyes but the image of that


    woman blocked my head.


    I remember our first meeting yesterday. She said she''s wearing a purple jacket, but she''s the only one


    inside the coffee shop wearing purple. I admit she''s beautiful, and when she drew her face closer to


    me, her scent filled my nostrils. And her lips were the first thing I noticed. They looked so soft and


    pinkish, and I had to look directly into her eyes to block my wild imaginations.


    "Oh, God! Why am I thinking that woman? She''s like the other woman around! She''s just after my


    ount!"


    I massaged my temples and stood up. Today is Saturday, but I have to go to the office for an important


    meeting.


    ~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~


    Sophia''s POV:


    "No! Per favore Joseph, non farlo!" (Please Joseph, don''t do this!) I cried and begged him to stop but


    he continued to tear my clothes off.


    "Fermare? Perché dovrei?" (Stop? Why would I?)


    And heughed on top of me in his demonicugh. He pinned both my hands over my head as his lips


    sucked the skin of my neck. I felt his manhood poking down my belly. And it made me felt so helpless, I


    couldn''t even move under him.


    "Puoi aspettare prima notte di nozze?" ( Can you just wait for the wedding night?) I kept crying.


    "Ma non posso più aspettare, amore mio. Ho bisogno di te adesso! Hai un profumo così buono!" (But I


    can''t wait any longer, my love. I need you right now! You smell so good!)


    And I screamed when his hand cupped my left breast as his lips continued to nibble on my neck. I tried


    to wrestle harder under his stinking body when he positioned himself between my legs.


    "No! Per favore non farlo! Farò tutto quello che vuoi che fia, per favore non farlo! Questa è molestia!


    Questa è stupro!" ((No! Please, don''t do this! I''ll do whatever you want me to do, just please don''t do


    this! This is harassment! This is rape!)


    "Oh, no amore mio. Nessuno può chiamarlo stupro, perché sei mia fidanzata e presto diventerai


    moglie." (Oh, no my love. Nobody can call it rape, because you''re my fiancee and you will soon


    be my wife.)


    "No, No, No-----"


    "Noooo!"


    I screamed on top of my lungs as I jolted out in my sleep. I was catching my breath as I wiped the


    beads of sweat all over my neck and forehead. I dreamed of it again. No, it was a nightmare. A


    nightmare from my past, and it started again when I saw Joseph in the parking lot of the mall, one week


    ago.


    "Sophia! Sophia, are you okay?"


    I heard Craig''s voice outside my door before he came into my view. He''s carrying my pussy... I mean


    my white blue-eyed Persian cat and her name is pussy.


    "Hey, I heard your scream. Are you okay?" he took a seat on the edge of my bed.


    "Yeah, it was just a nightmare." I tried to smile but I lowered my head and closed my eyes tightly to


    control the tears from falling.


    "Are you having nightmares again?"


    I nodded. He knows everything. I''ve already told him time when I couldn''t hold back the tears anymore


    and he was there tofort me. He''s my assistant dance instructor and was with me during those


    times when I was just starting this career. And we started to build the Sophia''s Dream-dance studio two


    years ago. He has be my friend and brother since then and until now.


    "Why don''t you take Mrs Kelley''s deal? It''s a huge advantage, Sophia. She''s already allowed you to


    use their name to find La and to put Joseph in jail."


    "Craig, it''s not easy to ept her deal! I mean, the responsibilities and obligations within that marriage.


    I''m going to his son''s trophy wife and then what--- Joseph will easily find me. Kelleys'' are not just


    simple people. They are a famous and well-known family in Los Angeles."


    "Yes, and that means they are also influential and powerful people. Do you think that bastard Joseph


    will get close to you that easily if he finds out that you''re married to a certain Kelley? One of the top


    bachelors in Los Angeles? Come on, think of it, Sophia!"


    I sighed loudly as I dropped my head on my both hands.


    "I don''t know, Craig. My nightmares are hunting me again. And it seems like everything just happened


    yesterday and not six years ago."


    "Sophia, excuses will always be there for you but opportunity won''t. It will only knock once in your door,


    so while it still knocking, open your door and grab it! Who knows, this would lead you to get the justice


    you''ve longed to get."


    "But Craig, her son doesn''t want me to be his wife. And I told you he has already insulted and judged


    me!"


    "Oh,e on! You have already faced a lot of judgements in your life. You have already received


    insults from your father---"


    "Ouch! Way to add salt to my injury?"


    "I''m sorry, that''s not what I meant. I just want you to open your eyes, Sophia. As I was saying, you''ve


    been through a lot in your life before and if her son throws you insults again or judges you for epting


    the deal, then so be it! Let him judge you, besides what all he knew was just your name and not your


    real story!"


    I bit my lips as I scratched the back of my ears because of confusion. It''s one of my mannerisms if I


    really don''t know what to do next.


    "Why, will you die if he insults you again, or if he tells you that you just epted his mother''s offer


    because of money?"


    I shook my head.


    "Won''t you survive for a day hearing his judgement? It''s just one or more wordsing from one


    person, Sophia. What important is your goal, your n, yourself! His insults won''t help you find La,


    and his words won''t even help you seek justice for what Joseph did to you! Call it a desperate way, so


    what? As long as it''s not true and you know it for yourself!"


    He paused and took both of my hands.


    "Mrs Kelley also knows the truth. We''re all just here behind you. Get up and fight! What''s his name,


    again?"


    "Whose name?"


    "Your soon to be husband."


    "Daniel. Daniel Kelley."


    "Daniel Kelley, tss! Show that man who the real Sophia Ysabelle is! The woman who fights and doesn''t


    give up easily in any situation she''s in."


    A smile crept into my lips after hearing those words from him. At least I still have Craig who treats me


    more like a sister than a friend.


    I sighed and my eyesnded on my cat who''s still rubbing her head on Craig''s arm.


    "Hi, my pussy." I lifted her and ced her in myp.


    Craig chuckled as he shook his head.


    "Why did you name her pussy out of all the names you can give her?"


    "Just for fun." I shrugged and continued to rub pussy''s fur. "Why, isn''t it beautiful, Pussy?"


    We bothughed at the name. I was about to get up when I heard my phone ring. We both looked at


    each other when I saw the name ''Mrs. Kelley'' on the screen.


    "Good morning, Mrs Kelley," I answered looking into Craig''s eyes. It''s in the loudspeaker.


    "Hi sweetie, how are you?"


    "I''m fine, Mrs Kelley."


    "I''m sorry for what my son told you during your meeting. But please Sophia, if you really don''t want to


    ept my offer, let me help you."


    I bit my bottom lip as I took a deep breath. Craig continued to encourage me to ept the deal by


    nodding.


    "I ept the deal, Mrs Kelley."


    "Oh, my sweetie. I''m so happy. Thank you, Sophia. I''m going to tell my husband and set the date of the


    engagement!" she said excitedly.


    "But I just have a few favors if that''s possible?"


    "Oh sure, whatever it is, sweetie. If you''re not busy today, can we meet to discuss this deal and your


    favors?"


    "Y-Yeah sure, just tell me the ce, Mrs Kelley."


    "Don''t worry about it, ''cause I''m gonna pick you up. Is ten o''clock okay with you?"


    "Yeah, that''s fine with me."


    "Okay, be ready by ten, sweetie. Bye."


    "Bye, Mrs Kelley."


    I ended the call and looked at Craig.


    "Go! Take a bath while I''m preparing breakfast."


    "Thanks, Craig, you''re the best." I smiled and hugged him before getting up.


    "Of course!" he also smiled and winked at me.


    ~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~°~~~~~~~


    "Don''t hesitate to tell me whatever you want, Sophia. I will listen to you." Mrs Kelley said and smiled at


    me.


    I nodded.


    We are now inside the restaurant and waiting for our orders.


    "Let''s talk about the engagement party and then the next is the wedding. What motif do you want for


    the party?"


    "Uhm... whatever you want Mrs Kelley. It''s okay with me." I said smiling.


    Property belongs to N?vel(D)r/ama.Org.


    "No, it''s your wedding. I give you all the decisions for the motifs and everything!"


    I sighed when I heard the word decisions.


    "Uhm.. can we.... can we just have the party ... uhm... private, Mrs Kelley?"


    "Private? What do you mean? Don''t you want a big party? A big celebration for your wedding?"


    "I''m just notfortable with huge parties and events. Besides I want it to keep private from the public,


    especially from Joseph''s knowledge. I don''t want him to know where I am, where I live and everything


    about me. Your son is not just an ordinary person, Mrs Kelley. I mean, Paparazzi and other media


    surrounds him every day and I don''t want them to follow me everywhere."


    She took both my both hands and smiled.


    "I understand, Sophia. If that''s what you want, we''ll keep it in private. No paparazzi and other media on


    your engagement party and your wedding. We''ll just have a few professional photographers and


    videographers to cover the entire events."


    "Thank you, Mrs Kelley." I returned her smile.


    "Let''s talk about the deal. You''re going to marry my son and my husband and me, we are going to help


    you to find La and to make that Joseph guy rots in jail! I promise you that!"


    "Thank you and one more thing, Ma''am."


    "Sure, what is it?"


    "Can we also keep this deal in private? I mean, can''t we let anyone know about my reason of marrying


    your son?"


    "What about your husband?"


    I gulped. "Soon to be husband, Mrs Kelley."


    "Okay, I''m sorry."


    "I don''t want him to know my reason, besides it''s just a contractual marriage. After a year or when they


    get the investment and I get the justice for what Joseph did to me, we''ll go our separate ways again


    and file a divorce."


    "Well, it''s your decision, I understand."


    "Uhm..what am I going to do as your son''s wife?"


    "Well, you will just pretend to be his loving wife at all his business events, or parties that needed your


    appearance as his partner. But don''t worry, you don''t have to act as his wedded wife at home, you still


    have your private life even when you''re married to him. But both of you are not allowed to date or see


    another man and woman while you''re still married to each other."


    I just nodded.


    "What about uhm... you know...after our wedding?


    "Make love."


    I bit my bottom lip.


    "Well in that case, since you''re both adults, it''s up to you to decide whether to consummate your


    marriage."


    My eyes widened a bit but she just smiled at me.


    "You know what, I like you, Sophia. And to be honest with you, I like you for my son."


    "Mrs Kelley---"


    "It''s true, sweetie, and I''m hoping someday this marriage of convenience will be real and a


    marriage of forever."  I couldn''t help butugh at herst word.


    -''Forever?''-


    "That is so impossible, Ma''am. Your son is a bit rude and arrogant." I didn''t hesitate to tell her what''s


    my real opinion about her son.


    She looked surprised at first but sheughed eventually.


    "You forgot something, he''s also cold, sweetie." and sheughed again. "This is why I like you, Sophia.


    You''re a straightforward person. If you like something or anything, you tell it right away, but if not, you


    never hesitate to point it out."


    "Because for me, honesty is the best policy, Mrs Kelley."


    "You got me there, sweetie, but I also want you to know, that Daniel, despite being cold and a bit


    arrogant, is a real gentleman, Sophia. I''m not telling you this because he''s my son. Just make your


    patience a little bit longer."


    I just smiled at her and breathed a sigh of relief.